urse you have, dear."

"And the first time I saw that old picture there I knew it was Rome, and
I had a notion that I'd been there and seen just that view."

"You've been seeing pictures and reading books and hearing talk all your
life, and in the peculiar state of your memory, I suppose you can't
distinguish between the impressions made on it by facts and by ideas."

Mildred was silent; but it was not the silence of conviction. Then she
jumped up.

"I'm going to see Baby. You needn't come if you don't want."

He hesitated.

"I'm afraid it's too late. Milly doesn't like--" He broke off with a
wild laugh. "What am I talking about!"

"I suppose you were going to say, Milly doesn't like people taking a
candle into the room when Baby is shut up for the night. I don't care
what Milly likes. He's my baby now, and he's sure to look a duck when
he's asleep. Come along!"

She put her arm through his and together they climbed the steep
staircase to the nursery.

Mildred had returned to the world in such excellent spirits at merely
being there, that she took those awkward situations which Milly had
inevitably bequeathed to her, as capital jokes. The partial and external
acquaintance with Milly's doings and points of view which she had
brought back with her, made everything easier than before; but her
derisive dislike of her absent rival was intensified. It pained Ian if
she dropped a hint of it. Tims was the only person to whom she could
have the comfort of expressing herself; and even Tims made faces and
groaned faintly, as though she did not enjoy Mildred's wit when Milly
was the subject of it. She gave Milly's cook notice at once, but most
things she found in a satisfactory state--particularly the family
finances. More negatively satisfactory was the state of her wardrobe,
since so little had been bought. Mildred still shuddered at the
recollection of the trousseau frocks.

Once more Mrs. Stewart, whose social career had been like that of the
proverbial rocket shot up into the zenith. But a life of mere amusement
was not the fashion in the circle in which she lived, and her active
brain and easily aroused sympathies made her quick to take up more
serious interests.

It seemed wiser, too, to make no sudden break with Milly's habits.
Still, Emma, the nurse, opined that Baby got on all the better since
Mrs. Stewart had become "more used to him like"--wasn't always changing
his food, taking his temperature, wanting hi